Latest News Churches Conference business items 2012

Conference business items 2012

Monday, 23 January 2012 13:08

Some of the important business items churches need to be aware of for 2012:

 

AFFINITY | SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

10am, March 3, 2012 at Doncaster church

Affinity will be presented for approval at a Special General Meeting (SGM) of Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania Inc. planned for March 3, 3012. This SGM is being called in accordance with Constitution clause 8.4. Its primary purpose will be to approve Affinity as the document that fulfils Constitution clause 5.4, and also to accept several related Constitutional amendments. Full details of the proposed Motions will be available to churches following the February 1 meeting of Council.

Churches are encouraged to distribute the Affinity document as widely as possible. Please feel free to make copies or share it electronically. 

In preparation for the March 3, 2012 SGM, please prayerfully consider the appointment of your church’s delegates to this important special meeting. The SGM Delegates registration form is here. This includes an opportunity to place a lunch order.

If your church is unable to appoint any delegates, the Executive Officer according to Constitution clause 9.4 can appoint proxy delegates on your church’s behalf. We hope to have a close to 100% participation in this decision, through the appointment of delegates or proxies. The Request for Proxy Delegates form can be used for this purpose, including any voting instruction.

 

AND | A Festival of Ideas, Imagination and Stories

May 3-5, 2012 at One Community Church

In 2012 the All Ministers and All Churches Summits and the AGM are being folded into a three day Festival. On Saturday May 5 AND will include a brief AGM of Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania Inc., conducted according to the Constitution, and on Friday May 4, an evening celebration event where new churches will be affiliated and new ministers prayed for and ordained.

Partner Departments will report to AGM Delegates in the normal manner. Notices of Motion from churches are invited, however Council reserves the right to refer them to a second SGM planned for later in 2012. This will provide more time to consider themes and topics.

In February further correspondence will be sent containing more information about the AGM and other related matters. Churches will then have the opportunity to nominate Delegates for the AGM, possible members of the Council of Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania Inc., a Conference President for 2013-14/15, and to propose Notions of Motion. More details of these matters can be found below.

It may be helpful for you to follow the attached 2012 Timeline.

More details about AND, and registration forms will be released in February 2012. But please mark these dates in your diary and church calendar now!

REGIONAL CONVERSATIONS

Several regional conversations around a proposed preamble to the Constitution reflecting our commitment to the First Peoples of Australia will be held before May. One conversation has already been held in Shepparton and others are being planned for Warragul, Geelong and Footscray in February and March.   

NEW CHURCH AFFILIATIONS

We are currently in conversation with several churches considering affiliation at next year’s AGM. Under the Constitution Applications for Affiliation are to be received by the Executive Officer by Thursday 22, March 2012 and churches will be notified of any affiliations one week after that date.

NOTICES OF MOTION

Any member in good standing of an affiliated church may propose a resolution for consideration at the Conference AGM. According to Constitution Clause 10, the Executive Officer must receive notice of such a motion by Thursday 22, March 2012. Given the focus of the AND Festival, Council will refer these matters to a further Special General Meeting being planned for October 2012.

COUNCIL—  2 VACANCIES

You are also invited to be prayerful about possible nominations for the two vacancies on Council. According to Constitution clause 13 any member in good standing and fellowship with an affiliated church (excluding Conference employees) can be nominated as elected members of Council. Elections will held at the AGM, and to be elected nominees must be approved by at least two-thirds of voting delegates. In 2011 delegates can elect up to two members of Council. The Council member co-opted through 2011 is eligible for nomination. The Executive Officer must receive nominations for Council on the prescribed form by Thursday 22, March 2012.

ROLE OF COUNCIL

The Council oversees the life and work of Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania in accordance with the Constitution. Its primary role is to ‘oversee the spiritual health and direction of Conference’ (see clause 14). Membership of Council is a privilege and a responsibility. It is vital Council members have a deep faith commitment to Jesus Christ expressed in their personal life journey and their local church, community and work involvements. A shared commitment to our Common Mission To be a movement of the people of God gathering around the central figure of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living out his Way in our local contexts and inviting others to do the same is also important.

Qualities for Council membership include:

  • A deep commitment to the primacy of mission in our movement, the capacity to exercise mission-shaped thinking and imagination, and to encourage experimentation in mission and ministry.
  • An ability to interpret the life of the church strategically, in the context of the 21st century.
  • A commitment to the future vision of Churches of Christ.
  • A capacity to exercise leadership and visionary thinking.
  • A capacity to bring a Christian spiritual focus to issues.
  • A pastoral concern for the life and work of Conference and affiliated churches.
  • A capacity to think broadly, beyond the perspective of the local church.
  • An ability to guide and assist in policy development.
  • An availability and commitment to attend all Council meetings and to participate in its processes, including additional committees or task groups, as needed.

The current membership of the Council consists of:

  • Five elected members and one co-opted member (asterisks denote retiring members):

         Rod Brown (Boronia): Elected 2011

        Cheryl Catford-McCallum (One Community): Elected 2011

        Sarah Deutscher (Red): Elected 2011

        *Milton Oliver (Roxburgh Park): Co-opted until May 2012, and eligible for nomination

        Michael Ratcliffe (Northern): Elected 2011

        *Greg Warmbrunn (One Community): Elected 2006, 2008 and 2010 and ineligible for re-election

  • Max Carr: Nominee and Chair of the Trustees of the Properties Corporation (Doncaster) Until December 31, 2011
  • Terry McCredden: Nominee and Chair of the Churches of Christ Community Care Board (Northern Community). N.B. Terry has been appointed Chair of the Trustees of the Properties Corporation, and a new Community Care Chair will be appointed by its new Board in 2012.
  • John Sharpe: Nominee and chair of the Stirling Theological College Board (Ringwood)
  • David Brooker: Nominee and Chair of the Mission and Ministry Board (Southern Community)
  • Paul Burnham: President 2011-2013 (One Community)
  • Paul Cameron: Executive Officer (Connection)

PRESIDENT

We also request your prayerful consideration regarding a President of Churches of Christ in Vic/Tas for the term 2013–2014/15. As the current President Paul Burnham is a ministry person, and in keeping with the rotation principle we generally follow, we are seeking a non-ministry person for this nomination.

The President works with Council and the Executive Officer in pursuing a common purpose and vision for Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania. The President, where and when able, visits churches in a pastoral capacity, attends meetings of Council and Partner Departments, and represents Churches of Christ in inter-church settings. People nominated can choose to serve for one or two years.

I invite you to join Council in seeking wisdom and discernment about a person who can provide servant leadership through the role of Conference President.

Thanks for adding these matters to your list at this time of the year. Your prayerful consideration and suggestions will be appreciated. You will receive further correspondence about all of these matters, and all the appropriate forms, in February 2012.